IKEA

In 2015 a controversy arose over the apparent decision of IKEA to ban Chinese people from sleeping on their furniture on display. However, it turned out that not only was IKEA not banning this behaviour but encouraging it.

In China, the line between private and public space is a blurry one. People use shared places as if they were their own.

In the case of this IKEA store in Guangzhou, it is usual to see chinese people enjoying the display living rooms, bathrooms or kitchens as they would at home. It is not rare or looked down upon to take a nap in the middle of the day in the displayed furniture or brush one’s hair on the mock bathroom.